Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer announced late last month that he will retire at the end of the court’s current term.

Breyer, 83, was appointed to the high court by President Bill Clinton in 1994. He has tended to vote in favor of church-state separation.

“We urge President Biden to nominate a justice who reflects the diversity of our country and understands that separation of church and state is the cornerstone of religious freedom,” said AU President and CEO Rachel Laser in a statement.

Laser added, “We need a justice who will be a bulwark against the court’s ultra-conservative majority, who seem set on redefining religious freedom as a sword to harm others instead of a shield to protect all of us. We deserve a justice who will defend our country’s foundational principle of separation of religion and government like our democracy depends on it – because it does.”

As this issue of Church & State went to press, Biden had not named any potential replacements for Breyer. Look for an update in the March issue.

BREAKING NEWS

Americans United & the National Women’s Law Center file suit to challenge Missouri’s abortion bans.

Abortion bans violate the separation of church and state. Americans United and the National Women’s Law Center—the leading experts in religious freedom and gender justice—have joined forces with thirteen clergy from six faith traditions to challenge Missouri’s abortion bans as unconstitutionally imposing one narrow religious doctrine on everyone.


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